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Great Conditions but Slow Fishing

Econ River below Snowhill


With recent rain pushing the Econ River up 1.5 feet, I decided to give the pools at Brumley a break, and make the paddle downstream of Snowhill again on Saturday. The plan this time was to make my way down to the pool below the power lines, as I have wanted to fish this area for multiple years. After recently finding out that Ray Ayala lived quite literally two minutes away from me, I asked whether he wanted to join me, with the caveat that this was a lower probability trip, but we would get to fish some lesser traveled areas.

This section of river is indeed a gamble, but there is some quality water to fish, at least in years where the Econ has good current relative to the St. Johns. In this section you will find sand bottom, good current, pools with eddies and some with whirlpools… all the makings of perfect holding areas for shad making their way upstream to spawn. With the rain and a report or two of slower fishing at Brumley, my thoughts were filled with good numbers of fish moving upstream, but alas, it is more difficult to think like a fish than it may seem.

I picked up Ray at 8am and we made the trip to the bridge on Snowhill Road. We were greeted with more cars parked along the bridge than I have seen in a while… Boy Scouts making the paddle to C.S. Lee, with an overnight stay on the Econ. This is actually a trip that Ray and I had been considering ourselves. We loaded up the canoe and decided to get in front of the crowd, using the current to our advantage to quickly make our way to the confluence where I caught fish last trip. Ray fished the head of the pool with the fly rod, and I covered the depth and tail of the pool with the “fish finder” and found no takers.

The Pool above the Power Lines
Ray fishing the pool above the power lines

Back in the canoe, we skipped the big pool with the nice whirlpool, and decided to stop at the pool above the power lines. We were greeted by a nice gar, actively working the surface of the pool, along with considerable surface activity. Same story, different pool… we covered the area by fly, and by spoon, and found no takers.

We continued downstream another 1.5 miles through a section of deep, straight, slow moving water and arrived at the pool below the power lines at around 11:00. There we found two nice sized alligators, one of which slipped under, not to be seen again that day, and the other just meandered, guarding the stagnant side pool outside of the current of the river. There was considerable current at the head of the pool, which came to a crawl at the center and then accelerated in to a run below the tail of the pool in to the next turn. It looked like prime water to find shad. Next verse, same as the first… Ray began working the area with the fly, me with the spoon on the spinning rod. After several casts, I hooked up with what looked to be a small hickory, or a large blueback herring, but I lost the fish right as I slipped my hand in the water to grab it, so I did not clearly identify it.

Power lines crossing the Econ River
The Power Lines

We fished the area thoroughly from the inside bank, but found no other takers. However, from nearly the moment we arrived, I noticed non-stop surface activity outside of the best of the current coming in to the turn, near that stagnant side pool. This was an area we could not reach from the inside bank, so we mustered up some courage and jumped back in the canoe to see if could drive the alligator out, circling behind it, through the stagnant pool, banging on the side of the canoe with the paddles.

The gator submerged, and we opted not to fish the shoreline that would have given us prime access to the surface activity until we had waited long enough to ensure the gator did not surface again for air. Instead we fished just upstream of the stagnant pool on high and dry bank, and a section of submerged land bridge just about knee deep. Fourth verse, same as the first… Ray worked the area with the fly, and I with the spoon and found no takers. I finally rigged up the switch rod for some extra reach, trying heavy flies with sink tips, and light flies on floating tips to no avail. Right as I started to consider moving over to better shoreline, our buddy showed back up, dashing any hopes of wading in that area.

The Pool Below the Power Lines
The Pool Below the Power Lines

What we did start to figure out though, was just why that gator was so interested in guarding that side pool. We began to see surface activity not just right outside of the current, but right in to the stagnant pool itself. While the recent rain had reconnected the pool to the river, after looking at satellite images of the area, it is now clear to me that once the water receded just another foot or so (a couple of days in Econ time,) that pool would once again be cut off from the river, likely trapping fish and creating an all-you-can-eat buffet for our reptilian friend(s.)

After swinging flies, a couple of beers, some conversation, and something like four hours, we finally saw those boy scouts pass us. I have no idea what took them so long, but we decided to motor our way back upstream. On the way we stopped and fished the pool above the power lines again where Ray caught a bluegill. We continued up river and fished the pool with the whirlpool, and later fished the opposite bank at the confluence and did not find shad. We did however nearly get swamped by three jackasses on jetskis, I kid you not, under a mile from the Snowhill bridge. The river is what, 20-30 feet wide here?? Idiots!

It was a good day of exploring, and I enjoyed fishing with Ray. I am glad he is as laid back as I am, just enjoys being on the water, and doesn’t mind trading a sure thing for a chance at catching fish in new places.


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